Royal Opera House (Scarborough)

• Theatre ID
  2371
• Built / Converted
  1908
• Current state
  Demolished
• Current use
  demolished (site now a casino)
• Address
  St Thomas Street, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England

Details

The demolition of the Royal Opera House was one of the most regrettable and avoidable theatrical losses of recent years following, as it did, on the destruction in 1999 of the interior of Scarborough’s early music hall, the Alexandra. The levelling of the Opera House occurred at a time when the general trend throughout the country was one of celebration at the restoration and triumphant reopening of theatres and it occurred in a place that should have been particularly alive to its theatrical heritage. Scarborough had an active theatre in the eighteenth century, was a great entertainment resort in the nineteenth century and is now home to the Stephen Joseph Theatre whose artistic director is the distinguished playwright, Alan Ayckbourn. Redevelopment pressure was of only secondary importance in this dismal story. Refurbished and reroofed in 1976, the Royal Opera House was in good condition in 1994, but flooded and rotting in 1998, the result of neglect and vandalism compounded by official indifference to the fate of the listed building. There may also be evidence here of narrowness of view of some local authorities, tending to think a choice of theatrical pleasures splits the potential audience, rather than encouraging its growth. The description following was written in 1998 and is reproduced unamended. The last sentence, in particular, should stand as a reproach to those who did nothing. The building had a short-lived predecessor, as Charles Adnams Grand Circus, a wooden building, which opened in 1876. It was rebuilt the following year as a brick structure designed by John Petch. This building lasted as a circus and music hall until February 1908 when it was demolished apart from the outer walls and a series of cast iron columns. Local architect Frank Tugwell (architect of the Futurist) designed the present theatre which opened in 1908. The foyer block is separate from the auditorium and possibly of a different date and may originally have been a terrace of three houses. The left hand one forms the foyer which links through to the auditorium; above are flats. The auditorium is on three levels, seating 970. The layout of the three boxes either side of the proscenium is most unusual with two at dress circle level and the major one suspended above the stalls. The circle is high above the stalls giving unusually good sightlines from the rear stalls. There are twenty-one rows of seats in the stalls, seven in the dress circle and three in the balcony which has been reduced in size. The circle has a horseshoe form with a restrained scroll and tasseled decoration. The balcony is serpentine in shape with straight slips returned to the proscenium wall. The proscenium is segmentally arched and richly decorated with scrolls, groups of cherubs and a central cartouche containing horses heads, recalling the early circus use and Hippodrome name. The circles are partly cantilevered with one supporting pillar at stalls and circle levels. Sightlines are excellent throughout. The ceiling is plain and simply panelled. This must now be one of the most important ‘sleeping beauties’ in the country and is crying out for restoration and reopening, especially with the planned demise of the Futurist. However the auditorium is now flooded, the foyer block ruined after a series of arson attacks and action is urgently needed to halt the rot.

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• Other names
  Charles Adnam’s Grand Circus, Hengler’s Grand Cirque, Prince of Wales Circus, Zalvas Hippodrome, New Hippodrome, Opera House, Grand Opera House
• Events
  • 2004 - 0 Demolition:
  • 1877 Design/Construction:
    • John Petch - Architect
  • 1908 Alteration: almost completely rebuilt
    • Frank Tugwell - Architect
  • 1976 Alteration: refurbished; re-roofed; bar added at rear
    • Dennis Hitch - Architect
• Capacities
  • Later: 1908: 2000 1948: 1238
  • Current: c.970
• Listings
  • Grade II
• Stage type
  • Rake
• Dimensions
  • Stage dimensions: Depth: 8.53m
  • Proscenium width: 9.75m